Five Frugal Things --
1. I sold my Goodwill bins backpack through Facebook Marketplace for $100! I was on the fence on whether or not to keep it, but came to the conclusion that I already have a backpack and only use it a couple times per year. This indicates to me that I am in no need of a schmancy backpack and it's better to get the hundred bucks.
This wasn't part of the $100 Goodwill Gift Card Challenge, so the profits are mine to keep.
2. My kid and their partner stopped by the house to pick up "Mama's Little Meatball" and we hung out and played cards for an hour or so. I served leftover lentil soup with a side of chocolate cake and all was well with the world.
3 I watched the men's Olympic "free skate" through the Peacock app, which is free through our Verizon cell phone plan. That plan is further discounted due to my husband's status as a first responder.
4. The sun made a brief appearance today, so I opened up some windows and turned off the furnace for six hours or so.
5. I didn't spend countless thousands of dollars for my kids to become Olympic athletes.
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
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What a great sale on the backpack. I struggle with keeping some of my own finds.
1. I had lunch out yesterday. I saved half of my entree to bring home. My daughter was coming home late for a visit and I knew she'd probably be hungry. It was nice to have something she could quickly heat up. The full entree was too much food either way.
2. I sold two small items on Ebay. I re-used packaging that was donated to me and ordered a post office pick up at my house for tomorrow. Not a lot of money but it's good to see these things gone since I've had them for a while.
3. I made an accidental omelet for my daughter and I (I forgot about the scrambled eggs in the pan). I used up the rest of a bag of shredded cheese and put in some diced onion I had leftover from another dish. We each had a piece of banana bread that my mom sent home with me.
4. I'm dogsitting my Granddog as I normally do on Sunday & Monday. It gives him and my dog a chance to play together. They are besties. This eliminates the temptation to adopt another dog to keep her company. It's especially nice this week since my daughter is sick and doesn't have to walk him. He can run around my yard and do his business.
5. I contributed to my HSA.
1. Stopped at Aldi while traveling and picked up some staple foods for awesome prices.
2. Dh borrowed a suitcase and travel cushion for his upcoming international trip to see his mother. Sharing these sort of items is very sensible.
3. Took in another pair of jeans for my son while we were visiting him. Keeps my skills fresh and it makes him happy. He's an awesome husband and dad and serves his family so faithfully, I love to be able to do something tangible for him.
4. Picked up cardboard from a dumpster for sheet mulching.
5. Filled out car up before returning home. Gas is almost 50¢ a gallon cheaper here.
Frugal fun: We’re retired.Our “dates” are usually something nature oriented as we live near mountains lakes and the desert.. much beauty..for free! So, I packed a quinoa-white bean salad for our lunch,with some free oranges from a neighbors tree, and we’ll drive through the desert to visit Coons Bluff, a fave riparian area about 20 minutes from our home, set up our camp chairs and watch the egrets,the river, and sometimes wild horses show up too! I sometimes bring a book or a sketch pad.. we just hang out in nature for a while..
Then, a trip to Costco on the way home to pick up ONLY a $5 chicken and a large container of kalamata olives. Dinner tonight is some of the chicken with veggies from my farm box delivery and some baby yukon potatoes in the air fryer.. got a big bag of them a few days ago in the $1.25 bin at Kroger. (That five dollar chicken provides at least 4 meals for us! I love the chicken noodle soup I make with the dregs and the broth from the bones!)
I’ve made a pact with myself to buy NO MORE CLOTHING ITEMS at all this year.I love thrift stores, but it is NOT frugal to add to my closet when I do not need to and have no more space!! So, when I want to “shop” I just go in and rearrange my closet!!
What a great deal on that backpack!
We also enjoyed the PNW sunshine yesterday, since we have an artic blast predicted to come in today or tomorrow.
1) Instead of giving into our sunny day urge to buy coffee and walk around the port (cheap, but not free), we instead used the sunshine as an excuse to get the blackberries out of one of the large, overgrown garden beds on the property. Hard work, but it's done and beautiful again.
2) Afterwards, the spouse and I soaked up the last of the sun by sitting out on deck. I made a pot of tea and served it with some toast slathered in butter and homemade jam as a treat and post physical labor pick-me-up.
3) We continue to enjoy our super elite and overpriced avocado toast and egg breakfast everyday. Spoiler alert, it's only 75 cents a person, and that's even with the nice, more expensive bakery sourdough bread instead of with the cheap, sugar-laden national brand breads.
4) I was too tired to do much after dinner, so I entertained myself until bedtime with a crossword book that I picked up from the "free book" shelf at the library (a wonderful service/gift that the local Friends of the Library group sets out, consisting of extra donations that they don't need for their annual fundraiser sale).
5) I had to visit a pharmacy on the other side of town to pick up a prescription that they couldn't fill at our usual pharmacy. While waiting, I checked the Instacart app and found a small delivery going back toward my side of town. I did the shop and made the delivery, which was just 5 minutes from my own home, so I was effectively paid $20 to run my errand and drive back home.
1. I went out early to get gas and a few groceries at Sam's Club. I also stopped into Aldi to pick up produce and diary and Grocery Outlet for a bit of bargain hunting. None of these places are more than a mile or two from home and they're all on the same road.
2. The last document needed to complete our income tax return is now available. I plan to finish taxes today. I offered DD a copy of the TurboTax Premier I purchased. You can use it for up to five Federal returns.
3. DH helped a neighbor install a "smart" doorbell and I played with their cats. Free entertainment.
4. I listed items we don't need/want on Freecycle. Hopefully someone will want them. Yesterday an item I listed a few weeks ago was picked up.
5. We are watching the original Frasier with DVDs borrowed from the library. The first season has been enjoyable.